I can tell already that this week is going to be slow for business, as holiday weeks usually are. Still I did try to get as much done today as I could.

I framed up 5 artworks for the City Hall show. And I cut the wood for 7 more (only 20 more to go!). I am back to cutting by hand, but it's not so bad. It took me about 20 minutes to cut the wood for 7 artworks. Maybe I will get brave and buy a table saw. I don't know. I was all set to buy one on Saturday and then this weekend in the paper they had a story about home improvement nightmares where people sawed off arms and stuff and then I got scared again.

I also worked on a submission for a Lark Books book, here's a sneak peek at a part of one of the images above. I had fun working on it with the new kit papers from Scrap in Style, love them!

In other exciting news, I bought a bathing suit this weekend from Target and Paul and I are going to the beach on July 4th. I am slathering the self-tanning cream on so my legs won't be so frightening. Let me tell you, they are really, really white.

I don't believe you finally got a swim suit - you've been saying you were getting one for ages! I do believe your legs are really, really white - don't forget the sunblock and use it often!!! Most of all breath deep and enjoy the salt air!

I've never commented on your blog before as I've only recently found your works of art. I love your fun, whimsical style!by the way, that article was about CHAIN saws. I think you are needing a table or a miter saw, which is ENTIRELY different, and WAY safer in my opinion.Adelle in MN

i've had a surprisingly busy week considering it's a holiday, so you never know, it could pick up!

i don't blame you for being spooked by the table saws. i remember in wood shop classes in high school and later in art classes in college, cutting wood or any type of machinery that could possibly take off your hand made me super nervous!

CLAUDINE. I'm so coming to use those power tools for you. AND, if you're worried - look into one with a laser guard. They stop cutting IMMEDIATELY if the material isn't wood. They are really great. You could do 20 frames in 10 minutes.

Claudine, omigoodness, do not read stories about chainsaws! I think first of all, you need someone to do this for you. But if you do decide to do it yourself, you need a power miter saw. Lots of community colleges and woodworking stores have classes on power tool safety that can ease your mind. Kal is right, it would be really really fast to do it that way.

Claudine find yourself a local woodworking group that can give you information on woodworking classes etc.

Our group has classes for artists wanting to make frames and such. Learning how to use the equipment safely will go along way towards building confidence.

And as someone who owns two table saws (a General and a Delta), a sliding compound miter saw, don't ever trust the laser lights on those things for your final cuts they can be knocked out of tune very easily, and a radial arm saw I can say with confidence that a little fear is very healthy, it makes you think twice about what you are doing, and your more likely to keep all appendages because of this fear.

I've been working with wood for 25 years now and still have all of my fingers.